Shoes made out of snow?

Well, not quite. But snowshoeing is a pretty good substitute.

I went with a friend and her mom. They rented snowshoes from Joe's (the store formerly known as GI Joe's) for just $11 per day per snowshoe set. I had no idea you could rent outdoor sporting equipment from Joe's, but it sure is a handy option if you enjoy outdoor sports but not to the point of investing in your own equipment. Poles were included with the rental, but we chose to forgo them. We set out driving East on Highway 22 toward Santiam Pass in the quest for snow. A stop at the Ranger Station pointed us toward McCoy CreekPark, a snow park popular for snowmobiles. After a stop in Detroit for a snow park pass we were ready to go.

We were the only ones in the park (one of the perks of being on winter break after everyone else is back at school and work). The trek was an unanticipated continuous uphill, but I got used to it after the first 15 minutes. The entire trail is supposedly 8 miles, but we just hiked for 2 hours. It was beautiful weather: blue skies and sun in the snowy forest. It was chilly, but it only took a little while for us to start stripping off layers. Once we got high enough up the mountain we had a spectacular view.

Snowshoeing is a great alternative form of exercising. It is enjoyable, yet I can still feel the soreness starting to set it...